Black Butler: The Hellfire Flu
by BlueRaven666
Summary: Sequel to 'The Demon Plague'. Takes place after Season 2. Ciel starts his new life as a demon. However, Sebastian suddenly falls mysteriously ill with symptoms that remind Ciel of the Black Flu. But how? Sebastian had been cured if it when he had contracted it a few years back, hadn't he?WARNINGS:OOCness, OCs, and sad moments. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The truth: eternity was boring.

Ciel Phantomhive was finding this out the hard way as he gazed out the window of his study. He had officially gotten used to the new manor and all of its new sights, sounds, smells, and secrets. No Mey-Rin to fall down and break things. No Finnian to ruin half of the garden. No Baldroy to burn up meals and blow up the kitchen. No Tanaka, who would be sitting in some corner drinking tea.

The house was in Sebastian's possession and the Phantomhive butler had hired a whole new staff; all of which that reminded him of the other servants, aside from the cook since nobody in the manor ate or drank anyways; they were all demons.

As for Sebastian, the butler was now trying to accept the fact he was forever bound to Ciel by an eternal contract, and therefore forever doomed to be a servant; and he was ultimately failing at accepting that fact. He didn't smile or smirk. He didn't tease or poke fun at anybody. All traces of feeling and emotion had gone from the demon. There wasn't much left in him to keep him going, other than the need to fulfill his master's orders and please him.

The routine on the household was the same as it was when Ciel was still human. Ciel slept from ten o'clock at night to seven o'clock in the morning. Then, Sebastian would wake him up and serve him his morning tea and breakfast. Of course there was no food or beverages to be had, and so they'd only pretend there was tea and that there was breakfast. For the most part, Ciel would remain in his study and read, or Sebastian would teach him a new song on the violin, or he'd read up on the history of a random place or person. If Ciel wasn't in his study, he'd be wandering around the manor; exploring the gardens and the many different secret passages and hidden rooms that were in the mansion. Sebastian had certainly made sure he'd found a place where his master would remain entertained for many, many years to come.

The new servants weren't the most functional bunch, but they were good enough at their jobs and they were capable of protecting Ciel; as the child-demon hadn't learned to defend himself yet and even as a demon there were still beings out there that were looking to mount the boy's head on a wall somewhere.

Meekah was the new house maid. She had long, smooth black hair and emerald-green eyes. Her cheeks were lightly freckled and a pair of large, round-lensed glasses sat on her face. She may have been an extremely clumsy demon, but she was a skilled fighter and was willing to protect Ciel, even at the cost of her life.

There was a new footman in the house, a demon named Thorn. Thorn was a tall man with short bright red hair and icy blue eyes. He was strangely thin and was rather quiet; he didn't speak to anybody much. He was skilled at throwing knives and battling with sword and other handheld weapons of the like. He was quick, light on his feet, and agile.

The manor's new gardener was a smaller demon; a boy about Ciel's height with silvery-grey hair and navy blue eyes. Like all demons, he was fairly strong and was able the move even the heaviest statues in the garden. He wasn't much of a klutz, but he hated disapproval, which made him fear Sebastian since the butler always looked as though he disapproved of something. The boy had never been given a name, so Sebastian had done the honor of calling him Mink. He was skilled at ambush attacks and setting traps, and he proved to be useful to the Phantomhive household.

Now Sebastian had a new shadow. Without Tanaka to follow him and fill in whenever the butler couldn't, Sebastian had found a new house steward; a younger demon named Lucius. Lucius was only a head shorter than Sebastian with shoulder-length dark red hair. He was blind in one eye, which was capped over in white while the other was of a dark shade of grey; nearly black. Lucius was also missing an arm. Despite those handicaps, though, he was a remarkable fighter and hardly a weakling.

As different from each other as this new lot was, they had one thing in common: they were skilled fighters and were willing to use that skill to protect their master. Much like the human servants did in the old Phantomhive manor, they admired Sebastian's strength, skill, swiftness, and elegance.

However, they did question the butler's peculiar behavior as to Ciel's daily routine. Pretend tea? Pretend breakfast? Did all that really matter anymore now that Ciel's human life was over? They could only guess that it did, since their master didn't tolerate it if Sebastian forgot tea or if they questioned why they had to get out the dining sets.

The servants normally talked it over with each other individually when Ciel wasn't around.

Lucius was the first to gain the nerves to talk to Sebastian one day.

"I've heard a great deal about you, you know?"

"Oh? And what have you heard?"

"People talk. They used to say Sebastian Michaelis was the most feared name in any realm. They said you were talkative and spritely, but you were also a force to be reckoned with. 'The demon that slayed the almighty Claude Faustus', 'He who spread the Black Death into Europe', 'He who was strong enough to kill two angels, even when odds were stacked against him'. If only they could see you now. You're only half the person you used to be back then. What happened, Michaelis?"

Sebastian could only turn to the young steward and gesture to the surrounding walls of the manor.

"This."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Nothing. That's all Sebastian could feel; nothing. His pride was gone. He'd let go of his resentment towards Ciel. Any happiness he'd ever felt with the child-demon felt like a distant memory. Sadness didn't exactly exist in demons. Fear had never been there. Putting it all together, that left Sebastian with nothing; nothing to gain and nothing to lose.

He stood in the kitchen for several minutes, staring at several tea sets, trying to decide—for the eighteenth time—which he should use for his master's evening tea. It was silly, but he really had nothing else to do.

Meekah came in and nearly tripped over her own feel as she walked through the door.

"Do you need help with something, Mr. Sebastian?" she asked.

The butler only continued to stare at the four tea sets he had narrowed down his selection to.

"I need one of these to use for the young master's tea."

"What's the occasion?"

"Just afternoon tea."

Meekah glanced out the window. It was late spring and rather dreary out; a mixture of dull greys, ugly browns, and damp greens. It had been raining earlier. Her eyes settled on a tea set with dark blue roses on the cups and identical blue roses decorating the saucers with light green swirls meant to look like stems lining the edge of them like vines.

"I think that one is perfect." Meekah said as she pointed to the set.

Sebastian looked it over, "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I haven't seen him use that set at all since we've been here."

"Then I suppose it will do . . ."

Sebastian set up the tea tray and was about to place it on the tea cart when a strange feeling started up in his wrists; a tingling feeling.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Meekah asked.

After a few seconds, the feeling subsided.

"Yes, everything is fine. Why are you standing around? Get back to work!"

"Yes, sir!"

As the maid trotted off, Sebastian began to roll the tea cart toward Ciel's study. Whatever had just happened with his wrists, he was sure it was nothing. Maybe his hands were starting to fall asleep, or something.

As he reached the study door, it struck Sebastian that Ciel wasn't even inside. He could sense his master was elsewhere in the vast mansion, and he quickly started to track down his master.

His search brought him to a fireplace in one of the sitting rooms. Sebastian knelt down and flipped a hidden switch that was at the top of the fireplace. The fireplace slowly pulled apart with a low rumbling sound to reveal a hidden hallway; one more hidden place Ciel had managed to find and explore.

The hallways led into a secret library, where Sebastian found Ciel sitting, reading a novel.

"I've brought you your afternoon tea, sir." Sebastian stated.

Ciel hummed to indicate he had heard him, "What is it today?"

"Chai Spice tea with a bit of sugar to sweeten it up."

Sebastian tipped the pot over, pouring the imaginary Chai Spice into a cup. He then passed the cup on a saucer over to Ciel, who leaned in as if he were taking in its imaginary aroma.

"It smells strong." He commented.

"It's as you've always preferred it, my lord." Sebastian replied.

Ciel took a small sip of the "tea", and judging from the placid look he had on his face as he did so, Sebastian guessed it was fine . . .

Fine, for an empty cup.

"Tell me, Sebastian," Ciel suddenly said, "Exactly how many rooms does this mansion have all together?"

Sebastian thought for a moment, "About seventy-five rooms in total."

"I've only found forty-six. I'm guessing all these hidden rooms are why the mansion's so big."

"Yes, sir. I selected a place that would keep you entertained day after day. I know how easy it is to get bored."

Ciel took the time to look over the decorative tea set that had been selected.

"Why did you choose this one?"

"I was torn between four others, my lord. Meekah lent a hand and thought this set suited a spring day such as this one."

Ciel hummed to himself again. For a dark, dreary day a lighter, more pleasant tea set was selected to lighten the mood. He supposed it wasn't a bad choice, since the color palate of the mansion's interior couldn't become lighter or more pleasant, no matter how many candles and lamps lit each room. Dark reds, greens, and navy blues gave the manor a darker atmosphere and it was hardly welcoming. But, designed and built by a demon, Ciel didn't expect light colors, coziness, or comfort.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Sebastian asked.

"It's fine." Ciel replied, "I'll take my tea in here."

It was strange that they weren't using anything that was real and that Ciel was just going to sip from an empty cup, but Sebastian left it alone.

As he began to walk out of the room, Sebastian was aware he had a slight headache. Goodness, was he that far gone? Had he been serving Ciel like this so long that he was getting headaches? If so, he would be putting up with it for a very, very, very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The headache never subsided, and the tingling Sebastian had felt in his wrists had grown into a throbbing ache and had begun to spread up his limbs. Needless to say this made doing his job difficult, but nothing Sebastian knew about demons could explain what was happening to him, which left him unable to cure himself. He was determined to keep it from Ciel. Of all things, he didn't want to come across as incapable. He remembered all too well that he had already let Ciel see him when he was at his weakest; laid up in bed as he suffered from the Black Flu. He'd come damn-near close to dying and had made Ciel cry for his sake. He didn't want to see something like that happen again.

That night, however, after putting Ciel to bed, Sebastian made use of his old bedroom in the mansion; and thankfully it was one of the hidden rooms Ciel still hadn't discovered. It was a large bedroom painted dark red with white trim around it. He had a dresser and matching bed frame crafted from walnut. The bed itself was quite large; meant more for nobility that for a servant; then again this _was _Sebastian's house. The room as illuminated by a number of candles, giving it more of a cryptic feel.

Sebastian shed his butler attire and soaked in a hot bath that was in a room attached to the bedroom; hoping it would help his aching joints.

"I'm getting old . . ." he thought to himself, but he knew that wasn't the reason why this was happening, "Too much work . . . I breathed the same air an angel passed gas in . . ." any thought to kept him from thinking, "I'm sick."

Sebastian got out of the bath and dried himself before crawling into bed. The pain was flaming up in his joints and his headache had grown into a migraine. He definitely needed sleep.

* * *

Sebastian woke up the next morning in more pain than he was the night before. His head felt like a thirty pound rock was lodged in it and every joint in his body felt like it had it had white-hot needles stuck between them. His stomach ached and his throat burned and he felt unbearably hot and cold at the same time. He had only gotten _this_ sick _this_ fast **_once_**.

Sebastian attempted to sit up, only to have someone push him back down onto the mattress.

"You shouldn't get up, Mr. Sebastian."

The elder demon's eyes blinked open.

Lucius was sitting at his bedside. His paprika-colored hair was a mess and he looked as though he'd been worrying about something.

"The young master . . ." Sebastian managed to croak out before a coughing fit started.

"Easy, easy . . ." Lucius soothed, "The young master is fine. I've been tending to him while you've been sleeping."

Sebastian didn't think he'd slept long enough to have someone else tend to Ciel.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Judging from the look on the steward's face, Sebastian could tell he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Three days."

Three days! Three days of sleep. Of all things, Ciel had to be either really concerned by this point or really angry for neglecting his duties.

It suddenly struck Sebastian that Lucius had managed to find _his_ bedroom; one of many hidden rooms that he couldn't have possibly known about. Even Ciel hadn't found this place yet.

"How did you find me?" he rasped.

"Master Ciel was exploring and he found you." Lucius explained, "When I heard you were sick, I couldn't believe it; I had to see it for myself. When I saw how bad you were, I took it upon myself to look after you and the young master."

Impossible. Ciel couldn't have found the switch to open the gateway to his room just by exploring. The switch was a brick in the wall at the very back of the fireplace in one of the two ballrooms of the mansion. Not only was this brick hard to find, it required lots of strength to push it in far enough to trigger the mechanism that opened the passage into the room. It was probable that Ciel had followed him and had found the passage that way, but it had to have taken the strength of one of the servants to open the door.

He still considered it a fortunate thing that someone had found him; no matter how bizarre the circumstances. Three days asleep and sick; a thousand things could have gone wrong if nobody knew where he was. A fever too high could have killed him. He could have been vomiting or bleeding or vomiting blood. Sebastian considered himself lucky.

Sebastian's body curled in on itself as he groaned in discomfort and began sweating profusely and he felt his stomach churn.

"Do you have a bucket?"

Lucius nodded as he passed over a bucket, which Sebastian leaned over and trembled as his stomach was forcefully emptied. The sight was so horrid Lucius forced himself to look away.

Sebastian collapsed onto his elbows as he began dry-heaving. Only then could Lucius bear to turn back to him and give a brief glance into what the butler had just expelled from his stomach. To his horror, he saw nothing but blood. Lucius then looked at Sebastian and noticed various marks and bruises on his neck.

"Do you have the Black Flu, by any chance?" he asked.

"I . . . I've already had . . . had it." Sebastian panted, "Claude Faustus cured me with the roots of the Black Demon Plant."

A worried look instantly crossed Lucius' face.

"Then this is _definitely_ not good."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

If it wasn't bad enough that Sebastian was ill, yet again, a doctor had been summoned from the depths of Hell to tend to him. The doctor resembled those who treated the victims of the Black Death; wearing a large, white, bird-like mask that kept him from breathing in traces of the plague that was in the air. He wore black clothing and long black hair swept down his back.

Sebastian had fallen into an unconscious state by the time the doctor started examining him.

"Blood has already started to pool into his stomach." He said, "From the sounds of his lungs, blood's also pooling in there, too."

"How bad is it?" Lucius said, "If this isn't the Black Flu, then . . ."

"It's worse than the Black Flu, m'boy. Black flue is at least curable. What Sebastian has is ten times worse, and it's an extremely rare disease that derives from the Black Flu. It looks like a bad case of the Hellfire Flu."

"**_The Hellfire Flu?!_**"

The question left Lucius' mouth at a yell of disbelief.

"I'm afraid so." The doctor confirmed, "A history of contracting the Black Flu and being cured by means of the Black Demon Root, and then ending up like this years later; it's the only thing he could have."

Lucius knew about the illness. Similar symptoms of the Black Flu were seen as the first indicators. Wounds didn't heal, joints ached, blood pooled into the stomach and lungs, causing excessive vomiting and coughing, and black, ink-like tears poured from the eyes. The sickness worsened into horrible temperature conflictions, making the demon feel unbearably hot and cold at the same time. Seizures eventually developed and fevers could reach 221 degrees and higher before killing the person infected. Worst of all, there was no cure.

"Please," Lucius begged, "There has to be something you can do to save him. That butler is all Master Ciel has left; they're like family."

Through the mask, the doctor gave a sad glance to Sebastian's unconscious form.

"You know as well as I that the Hellfire Flu is a terminal illness. The only hope I see is keeping his fever down. But if I were you I'd just let nature take its course. Delaying death is sometimes more stressful on the dying than just letting it come. I'd be more than happy to vaccinate those who haven't been cured of the Black Flu, especially Ciel Phantomhive, that way he can stay with Sebastian without getting sick, himself. But that's really all I can do."

Lucius nodded, "The young master will not be pleased to hear that, you know."

Ciel was given three doses of the fluid of the Black Demon Root before he was allowed into the butler's room. The child-demon sat at Sebastian's side for hours on end, and he could only watch as his health deteriorated further and further. He no longer bothered with imaginary tea or meals. All he wanted was to stay by Sebastian's side until the very end, much like Sebastian had always promised Ciel he'd do.

When evening rolled into its later hours, Meekah stepped into the room.

"Master? W-wouldn't you like to prepare for bed?"

"No," Ciel replied blankly, "I don't need sleep"

Meekah nodded and joined him at Sebastian's bedside.

Sebastian had fallen into an uneasy sleep after a coughing fit caused him to cough up blood. More bruises were forming on Sebastian's face and limbs. His eyes were sunken into his skull with dark rings around them and there was a thin sheen of sweat coating his face. Every so often, his face would tighten in pain and his breathing would become even more labored.

"There has to be _something_ we can do." Meekah spoke up, "Give him something to help with the pain, at least."

Ciel let out a frustrated sigh. He felt the same way, he honestly did. He didn't want Sebastian to suffer like this anymore. He wanted a cure, if nothing else. But even he knew it was no use.

"The doctor says there's nothing we can do." Ciel said, "If this illness is terminal, there's nothing that's going to help it."

Sebastian stirred slightly in bed, "Young master . . ."

Ciel scoot himself closer to his bed, "Yes, Sebastian? What is it?"

"I need . . . you to remember something . . . c-can you do that?"

"Yes . . . if anything, I'll _try _to remember it."

Sebastian managed to turn his head and force his eyes open to look at Ciel.

"You remember the order you gave me . . . one you gave after Madam Red died? What you said was . . . I was to never betray you and I was to never leave your side."

"Yes, I remember."

"And . . . do you remember . . . what I told you at the Viscount Druitt's ball?"

Ciel shook his head.

"I told you that even . . . even if I should perish from this world . . . I'd still be there."

"Yes, I remember it now."

Sebastian let out a sigh that sounded somewhat relieved, "Good . . . don't ever . . . _ever_ forget that, okay?"

Ciel felt something in his chest break, "Okay."

Sebastian gave a weak smile before the expressions on his face went blank and he fell asleep once more.

"What was that about?" Meekah asked.

Ciel shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe he feels death closing in on him."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ciel didn't remember falling asleep, but he remembered waking up to Lucius and Thorn shaking him awake. They both carried worried expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Ciel asked.

"It's Mr. Sebastian." Thorn replied, "We knew you'd want to be there with him."

It was then that Ciel realized he was in his own bedroom and he knew what the servant was telling him.

"He's not going to make it to morning."

Ciel instantly rolled out of bed and sprinted towards the butler's room. Sebastian was lying on his bed with a black, ink-like substance running down his face from his eyes. He coughed uncontrollably as his body flinched, twitched, and shook with the little gardener, Mink comfort him.

"Lucius!" he called, "Help!"

Lucius ran to his side, "Just let him ride it out . . ."

"What's happening?" Ciel asked in concern.

"It's a seizure. There's nothing we can do now. We'll just have to wait 'til it stops."

The minutes felt like hours of waiting until Sebastian's limbs stopped twitching and he was only coughing. Blood spat from his mouth onto the bed sheets and the black substance fell heavier and thicker from his eyes. Eventually, Sebastian fell limp against the mattress, heaving for breath as his eyes stared into space.

"Sebastian?" Ciel said in a soothing voice as he came closer to the edge of the bed, "Sebastian, can you hear me?"

Sebastian summoned the strength to turn his head and his heavy, narrow eyes settled on him.

"Master . . . come closer . . ."

Ciel scooted forward some.

". . . closer . . ."

Ciel slid closer until he was inches from Sebastian's face.

"Do you . . . remember . . . what I told you?"

Ciel nodded, "Every word."

Sebastian shook with another coughing fit; a fit his body didn't seem to have the energy to endure.

"Good . . . that . . . that's good." He rasped, "I need . . . I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Sebastian lifted a weak, trembling hand off of the mattress and rested it against the side of Ciel's face. His breathing sounded painful and his eyes struggled to remain focused on him.

"I've never had a friend like you before . . ." his voice was reduced to a rushed whisper, "No master . . . that I've had . . . h-has tr-treated me like you h-have. You . . . you are . . . a very . . . w-worthy . . . master. Th-thank you . . . C-Ciel . . ."

Sebastian's fingers curled against Ciel's cheek as he struggled to take in one last breath. He coughed weakly before he went still and the hand fell against the mattress. With the weakest of sighs, Sebastian's eyes finally closed.

"No, Sebastian!" Ciel all but shouted, "Please, hold on! Stay with me, Sebastian!"

Mink, Thorn, Meekah, and Lucius held each other. In his final moments, Sebastian confessed to having what few demons were lucky enough to have; a friend.

Ciel's body trembled as he began gasping. He felt like he was about to have an asthma attack. But he didn't cough or vomit like he usually did. He just stood there gasping until the gasps turned into shudders, and then sobs. In a fit of grief, he threw himself at Sebastian and cradled what his arms could hold of his body. He sobbed into Sebastian pale, cold chest and cried until the tears stopped coming.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Come on, Sebastian. Wake up!"

Ciel had been repeating these words for the better part of two days. For those two days, he hadn't left his butler's side. Undertaker had cleaned him, fitted him in a flawless butler's uniform, and had a coffin made by Ciel's design. Old Undertaker had to admit a call to lay the Phantomhive butler to rest was last thing he'd ever expected from Earl Phantomhive. He had been prepared, all this time, to fit Ciel for one of his coffins. Yet when the call came in that it was Sebastian who'd be needing the coffin, Undertaker took it seriously; he had stopped laughing, even.

As for Ciel, he wanted to think Sebastian was just playing around; trying to scare him. He wanted to think that this was just another one of those times where Sebastian was playing dead, like an old raccoon. He wanted to think that at any moment, Sebastian would wake from his "sleep" and pop out of the coffin, much like the miracle he pulled during the mysterious murders that had happened at the old Phantomhive manor.

But somewhere deep down, Ciel knew that this time it was no joke. He had seeing Sebastian in true pain and suffering. He had watched him turn blue as he struggled to breath and cough. And some part of him said he had seen the light leave Sebastian's eyes just before they closed. In the end, Ciel knew that Sebastian was really, truly, honestly dead.

That didn't stop him from trying to bring him back to life, though.

"Come on, Sebastian. Stop fooling around and wake up!"

That coffin that had been designed for Sebastian was one that was entirely black. White roses had been painted along the top of the coffin's lid and on its sides. The inside was well-padded and for the funeral's purpose Sebastian's head and shoulders were propped up by a goose-down pillow.

For the first time in several days, Sebastian looked peaceful; like he truly was just asleep. His sunken eyes and ill looks had been erased by Undertaker's handiwork. His hands were delicately folded across his chest, laced at the fingers. The pained look was finally gone from his face.

"Sebastian, if you can hear me I order you to wake up, now!"

The expressions on Sebastian's face remained the same. There was no indication that he had heard him, even in spirit.

All too soon, it came time for the funeral service and Sebastian's coffin, along with his body was taken to the local church for the service. Well that was something Sebastian definitely wouldn't have approved of. Ciel was sure he'd have much rather had his coffin driven off the edge of a cliff for final farewells than put in a church.

There weren't a lot of people there to mourn. Ciel, Lucius, Meekah, Mink, and Thorn were there along with the former Phantomhive servants, who still knew about Ciel's existence. Tanaka, Finny, Snake, Mey-Rin, and Baldroy showed up upon hearing the tragic news. Grell, William, Prince Soma, Agni, Lau, and Ran-Mau came as well. It was nowhere near as big as the funeral that was held when Madam Red died, but Ciel appreciated the fact that there were people that still cared about the butler and were willing to pay their respects.

Finally, the butler's coffin was closed and carried away to be buried. A tombstone had been carefully cut out that read:

_**Here Lies,**_  
_**Sebastian Michaelis**_  
_**Loyal Butler and Best Friend**_

* * *

Lucius, Thorn, Meekah, and Mink were grieving long after the returned to the manor, still dressed in the black outfits they wore at the funeral.

"So what's going to happen now?" Meekah asked.

"I don't know." Thorn replied quietly.

"I hope we're not going to be told to leave." Mink whimpered, "I don't want to go back to living how I was before."

"Me either."

"Me either." Meekah agreed.

Lucius remained silent, sitting in a corner. He was still trying to process the fact that the legendary Sebastian Michaelis was now dead. The one who couldn't be bested by any weapon, the one who could never be triumphed over by any person, and the one who had even put Claude Faustus at Death's door was now laid six feet deep into the ground because of the Hellfire Flu.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen now . . ."

A voice from the doorway caught their attention. Ciel stood there looking about as downhearted as the rest of them.

"I'm going to bed." He said, "Starting tomorrow, you all go back to your usual duties. Lucius, you will take Sebastian's place."

"But sir, I'm nowhere near as skilled as Mr. Sebastian was." Lucius explained, "I don't even know half of the stuff he was in charge of."

"You'll get the hang of it, with time. Sebastian wouldn't have wanted me to get rid of you. The manor needs you, and for that matter, I need you."

"But sir . . ."

Ciel let out a sad sigh, "Look, I know you're all still mourning, and I know you feel like you can't get anywhere without Sebastian, but you have to at least try. I can't take care of myself. Satan forbid it, if you won't do it for me, do it for Sebastian!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE ( 8/28/2014 )**

_Okay, I realize that the past few chapters were very depressing and sounded like "The End", however there is still a long ways in this story to go. If a tiny spoiler will ease you conscience, Ciel and Sebastian will meet again in a few up-coming chapters, the former Phantomhive servants will return somewhere in this, and bad things will happen (as they always tend to do, but I think the most depressing part of this story is over) Note: that was a TINY spoiler. Stay tuned to know what will happen._

**-BlackButlerFan13**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was different having Lucius put him to bed. It was different having Lucius stay at his bedside so he could fall asleep. It was different having Lucius there, instead of Sebastian.

Ciel was not the only one who thought this. Lucius felt as though he had no clue what he was doing. Everything he was doing was something he had seen Sebastian do a million times, but it was different doing these things himself. Lucius wondered if Sebastian had ever had such difficulty with this job when he had started working for the earl. Had he been this clueless at first? Had he royally messed up at any of his tasks and not known how to do something? For some reason, Lucius doubted it. He could only picture absolute perfection when he thought of Sebastian; nothing less.

After putting Ciel to bed, Lucius went back to the kitchen and began to assemble what he needed for Ciel's tea in the morning. However, his mind couldn't process just bringing an empty tea set up to Ciel's bedroom and serving him imaginary tea.

"How did he do this?" he wondered.

Time flew, and Lucius had spent all night worrying about this one thing. How the hell was he supposed to do this?

He picked out a simple tea set and arranged it onto the tea cart. He wheeled it to Ciel's bedroom and stopped at the foot of the child-demon's bed. Ciel was still asleep, but stirred when the curtains to his room were pulled open, flooding it with light.

"What kind of tea is it today?" He asked.

Lucius froze, "It . . . um . . . i-it's . . ."

Suddenly, it was as if the answer to that question was whispered into his ear.

"It's an Earl Grey-Darjeeling blend this morning, sir."

Ciel nodded as Lucius proceeded to pour the imaginary blend into a cup. This whole ritual was nerve-racking; it was like he was having a tea party with a little kid. But some part of him wondered what had just come over him. He had no clue what sort of imaginary tea he wanted to serve Ciel, and a blend of teas would have been the last thing he thought of, even though it was something Sebastian often did.

What on earth happened?

* * *

Meekah couldn't keep her mind focused on cleaning. She could only think of Sebastian and how horrible it was to watch him die as he did and how horrible it must have been for the butler to endure the death he was dealt.

The maid struggled to gather the supplies she needed to start dusting and was about to begin her work, but as she left the supply closet, the skirt to her uniform got caught in the door as she shut it.

"Oh, no . . . Not this again!"

She set down her cleaning supplies and tugged furiously on her skirt, but it wouldn't budge! She pulled harder and harder until she feared the fabric of the skirt would rip. Meekah tried to open the door, but it was jammed by the fabric that was caught in it.

The things that happened whenever she got distracted . . .

"At least Mr. Sebastian won't be the one to catch me like this anymore."

It was then that Meekah heard the bell-like sound of light laughter coming from down the hall. It was a laugh that she was all too familiar with.

"Mr. Sebastian?"

All was silent for a couple of seconds before another distant laugh hit the air, "Ha-ha-ha-ha -ha!"

The owner of the laugh sounded very amused.

"Okay, Lucius . . ." Meekah said cautiously, "Very funny. Come help me out, now."

The silence that followed was an eerie one and Meekah found herself becoming tense. She jumped suddenly when the knob to the supply closet door began to rattle and shake. It made a vicious clattering noise as it did so before it stopped, turned, and the door eased open with an ominous creaking sound.

Meekah stumbled backwards until her back hit the opposite wall. She watched with wide eyes as the door creaked closed again. Before all went silent once more, she heard that ominous laugh one last time.

"Ha-Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Suddenly, a hand rested on Meekah's shoulder, making her jump as she let out a frightened shriek.

"Meeks, what are you doing?"

There was only one person in the manor that referred to her as "Meeks" and Meekah let out a relieved sigh as she turned.

"Dammit, Lucius, you scared me to death! Don't you have anything better to do than to mess with my head, you one-eyed, one-armed creep?"

Lucius gave her a questioning glance, "What are you talking about? I just came down to see what you were up to."

"I'm talking about that crap you pulled; laughing at me while my skirt was caught in the door!"

"Meeks, I was upstairs serving the young master his morning tea. I wasn't laughing."

Meekah furrowed her brow.

"Then . . . who was?"

* * *

There was a reason Thorn didn't speak to a lot of people. He was different; different in the way that nobody could really understand; different in the way that made people afraid to be near him. He could sense ghosts and wandering souls of the like that refused or simply could not pass on. He spoke to them, confronted them, comforted them; speaking to them in the way one person would normally speak to another. But from the point of view from someone who couldn't understand this unnatural connection between worlds, it was no better than watching a child speak with an imaginary friend. The thing of it was the fact that Thorn had lived so long he didn't care who saw him or what they thought. He had friends from the other side to speak with.

"So you simply have been lurking about all this time, watching the rest of us bawl like babies?"

Thorn's attention was fixed on a dark corner of the servant's lounge.

"Oh, sure . . . it might be amusing from your perspective, but I don't think anyone else in this mansion shares your amusement . . . yes, I know. I just wish things didn't happen as they did."

Lucius and Meekah listened to the bizarre conversation from the doorway.

"Thorn . . ." Meekah spoke up, "Who are you talking to?"

"You wouldn't understand, even if I told you."

Lucius rolled his eyes, "Thorn, you're talking to a brick wall. There are people here that would like to know why. Anything you tell me now will make more sense than that. Have you lost your marbles?"

"No, I have not and I'm not talking to a brick wall, either!"

"Then who are you talking to?"

Thorn's reply was casual, as if it were no big deal.

"I'm speaking with Mr. Sebastian."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lucius and Meekah thought it would be best to never speak of what had happened to them as they were working. They also agreed that it was best not to bring up Thorn's supposed conversation with Sebastian to Ciel. Their young master would most likely scold them and say that there were no such things as ghosts, or it was likely that the mention of Sebastian could depress him more than he was already.

Meanwhile, Ciel was in his bedroom, sprawled across his bed staring blankly at the ceiling. He took in its elaborate patterns and designs and dull ugly colors; colors that he now regarded with beauty and elegance. He'd say the navy colors were those of the nighttime; where the dark and dirty deeds were hidden and secrets were kept. He'd say the damp greens of the mansion were the color of rose leaves and thickets, where there was safety and shelter. And then he'd say the dark red colors of the mansion were the color of rose petals, plucked from the stems and scattered, for the only rooms with dark red colors were the ones hidden away by the secret doorways that only Sebastian knew of. They were the color of passion and beauty; both things Sebastian had held.

The thought sent a twinge of pain through Ciel's chest. He didn't want to admit to anyone that he missed Sebastian, not even to himself. But he had made a promise to the butler to never forget that even in death he'd still be there for him. But Sebastian still had yet to keep his part of their promise. Ciel couldn't see him, hear him, or even feel his presence through the contract symbol; which still remained deeply engraved in his right eye.

Bored, Ciel slipped out of his room and walked to one of the ball rooms that held the entrance to Sebastian's bedroom. He found the proper brick in the proper fireplace to push in, but he didn't have enough strength to push it in enough to trigger the mechanism to open the door. Even putting all his weight and strength into the effort of pushing did nothing to push the brick the extra inch need to open the door.

"How on earth did you ever get this stupid door to open, Sebastian?" Ciel said out loud to himself.

He suddenly heard a laugh hit the air, "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ah!"

"Lucius, is that you?"

All was silent before he heard it again, "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny! Now, give me a hand with this."

Silence.

"Hello? Anyone?"

Silence.

"Lucius?"

Silence.

"Mink?"

Silence.

"Thorn?"

Silence.

"Meekah?"

Silence.

". . . Sebastian?"

". . . Master . . ."

The voice sent a chill down Ciel's spine, "Sebastian? Is that you?"

" . . . Master . . . Young Master . . . it's me . . ."

The voice was nothing but a whisper, but it was one Ciel was familiar with and some part of him welcomed it.

"Sebastian, this is an order: open this door, now!"

Silence.

Ciel watched the fireplace closely.

Moments later, a candle stick that stood atop the fireplace tipped forward on its own and the grinding sound of the brick being pushed back slowly was heard, along with another whisper:

"Yes, my lord."

The passage opened and at the end of it laid the large room with burgundy-colored walls.

All was left unchanged from the night Sebastian died in the room. There were stains from the blood Sebastian had coughed up and stains from the black substance that had bled out from his eyes. There was even a sunken-in place in the pillows where Sebastian's head had been resting.

Ciel ran his fingers over the stains and brought them to his nose.

The child-demon couldn't hold it in anymore, and he sank to his knees as he cried into the edge of the bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Ciel hated it when he cried, because he'd often cry himself to sleep and he'd never know who'd find him curled up on the floor or slumped over in a chair at his desk. Before, if that happened, it was always Sebastian who found him and carried him off to bed. But Sebastian wouldn't be around to do that anymore and it mortified him to think of one of the other servants finding him.

This time, when Ciel woke up he was in his own bed with the covers pulled over him. He felt heat rush to his face. What he _didn't_ want to happen happened anyways; one of the servants had found him and brought him to his bed.

It was well into the evening hours and Ciel was wide awake and had no idea what to do with himself. Once again, eternity was proving to be very boring, and it was even more boring without Sebastian's cheekiness to give him something to wrinkle his nose at and laugh internally.

" . . . Young master."

The eerie whisper made Ciel sit straight up in bed, "Sebastian?"

"Young master?"

"Sebastian, where are you?"

All was silent before his bedroom door opened slightly. From his bed, Ciel could see a figure peering in from the outside hall; a single crimson eye gazing at him from the shadows. The figure swayed a bit before continuing down the hall.

"Hey, wait!" Ciel called, jumping out of bed.

He rushed down the hall, following the figure; though it was little more than a light blue mist. Ciel followed it through the mansion, out the door and into the garden, through the garden and down the front drive, down the road about half a mile and into the local cemetery. The mist flew through several tombstones until it stopped and hovered above one that read:

**_Here Lies,  
Sebastian Michaelis  
Loyal Butler and Best Friend_**

The mist took the form of a man that was remarkably familiar to Ciel. He sat atop his tombstone, leaning a hand on an upturned palm, gazing out into the distance.

"Sebastian?" Ciel gasped, "Is it truly you?"

The spirit's eyes darted to him and a smile spread across his face, "Hello, young master."

Ciel didn't know if he was about to let out a relieved chuckle of begin sobbing uncontrollably again. Sebastian was _here_. He was speaking to _him_. He could _hear_ him. He could _be near_ him. The servant looked completely healthy and was dressed in his usual attire.

"And I thought you wouldn't be curious enough to follow me all the way here, at first." Sebastian commented, "Once I was able to get your attention, of course."

"But at the funeral . . ." Ciel started, "I asked you to make contact, but you didn't."

"And you have no idea how badly it tried to get you attention and respond. But when I ran out of ideas, I joined the others in the pews; along with everyone else."

"What the devil are you talking about?"

"We were all there, young master. Me, Madam Red, Alois . . . why, even your parents were there to pay their respects and try to comfort you."

The mention of his parent peeked Ciel's interest.

"You saw my parents?"

"Yes, I did."

" . . . And?"

Sebastian pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, "I don't think they like me very much. I think it might have something to do with the fact I'm a demon, and you're a demon now, too. But that's beside the point. Do you understand now why it was so important that you remembered the promise I made?"

"A little bit." Ciel said, "But how are you going to continue to serve me like this? You're dead."

"Sebastian let out a laugh, "Yes, I can see that. Over the past few days, I've been directing the others to work so my workload could be filled."

"But why don't you just come back and continue to work at the manor if you're haunting it already?"

"Haven't you ever been told that ghosts have to return to their graves by midnight? At some points of the day we can scare the world of the living until their undies are soiled, and at the witching hour we tend to be a little more active; that last hour before midnight. But we return to our graves at the stroke of twelve to rest."

"What happens if you don't return to your grave by midnight?" Ciel asked, "Do you disappear?"

"Worse than just that, my lord. We never sleep again because our souls can never re-enter our coffins. Suppose that's why they're padded on the inside. If our lack of sleep continues, we go crazy and when the ghost of a demon goes crazy, that's when poltergeists happen."

The things Ciel was able to learn from Sebastian, and there was still two hours left until midnight. So much time. So much to catch up on.

The two of them found themselves lying in the shadows of a willow tree as the full moon let in enough light for them to see. Sebastian looked as though he was sleeping, yet he looked both peaceful and happy as he lay next to Ciel.

"Sebastian?" the child-demon piped up.

"Yes, master?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sir; you can ask me anything you'd like."

". . . Is it normal to miss someone who is dead, even though they might be right next to you? Because I can see you, I can hear you, I can feel you, but I still miss you."

Sebastian rolled onto his side, "It is understandable, Ciel. Even though I might be right next to you and you can see me, and hear me, and talk to me, and sense me when I'm there, I'm still dead and you are still very much alive."

"Is Hell frozen over, or something? Why don't you just wait for me there?"

"Because even a dead butler has his promises to keep. I didn't return to Hell because I would be breaking a promise; a promise I made to you to remain by your side even in death."

Ciel swallowed a growing lump in his throat and he felt that familiar, horrible stinging sensation in his eyes.

Sebastian let out a soft sigh, "All these tears. Enough with the tears, master. You are crying over a servant and it isn't like you and I don't like it one bit."

"But you're not just a servant, Sebastian. You're a friend." Ciel rolled onto his side to face the butler, "I've never had a friend like you before."

Sebastian succeeded in wrapping his arms around the child-demon and held him close.

"You stole that line, sir. Now you'll make me cry."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Ciel eventually lost count of how many times he went back to visit Sebastian in the cemetery. He'd also lost count of how many times Sebastian toyed with him throughout the day, such as tipping over a cup or moving a book or a chair. And at night, they'd lie under the willow tree and just talk and watch the stars. It made being friends with someone who was both a demon and a ghost memorable and exciting, and Ciel learned that he was to cherish each moment, because he feared that one day these good times would come to an end. Sebastian would either disappear one day or Ciel thought he might die a death as sudden as the butler's.

The servants began to speak of the unusual events that took place inside the manor as if they weren't the work of Sebastian's ghost at all. They thought their young master simply missed his butler and wanted to find a way to still fit him in his life. Of course, the joke did float around every once in a while whenever something mysteriously broke or was moved, "Maybe the ghost did it."

Ciel didn't find it to be a very funny joke, because in this case the ghost _did_ do it, but the servants didn't truly believe that. They still though of Sebastian as long dead; a corpse rotting in a box in the ground. It was something that made Ciel fume.

At one point, Ciel got a headache from all the nonsense and hid himself away in a quiet room to ride it out. He sat in one of the secret libraries reading a book when he felt a bizarre tingling sensation start in his wrists. He promptly ignored it, as his wrists always tended to feel a bit strange whenever he held onto a book for so long.

Many hours passed in complete silence and Ciel's headache had only gotten worse. He guessed it had been from reading and he set the book down. The tingling in his wrists had grown into a dull ache that he attempted to rub away before lying down on a sofa and falling asleep.

* * *

"Ciel? Ciel? Ciel?"

Ciel could hear the voice calling to him, but he felt too weak to open his eyes as he tried to place a name to the voice.

"Ciel? Master? Young master, wake up!"

Ciel managed to open his eyes. As he looked around, he noticed the room had a light blue hue to it. He felt unbearably warm, yet felt as though he was freezing cold, as well. His head felt heavy and as though it could burst any moment. The aching in his wrists had grown to a horrible degree and his stomach churned as his throat burned.

"Sebas . . ." Ciel tried to say, only to be cut off by a coughing fit.

"Shhhhh . . . shush, shush, shush," a voice said, "Save your energy."

Ciel's eyes managed to focus on a single figure that sat beside him. It was Sebastian, who sat there with a heavy worried expression on his face.

"Sebas . . . tian . . . wha- what's wrong?" Ciel managed to gasp out.

The look on Sebastian's face fell into one of grim sadness, "It's the Hellfire Flu. It would seem you've caught it from me."

Ciel coughed again, "H-how?"

"Younger demons are extremely vulnerable to illness; cured of it or not. The doctor failed to tell you that didn't he?"

Ciel nodded.

"That's because doctors in Hell are demons of Greed and Sloth. Those fools should have known better than to summon one." Sebastian picked up Ciel's weak body, making him hover above the floor, "We should get you to bed. You need rest."

In a way, Sebastian carried Ciel all the way through the mansion to his bedroom and he laid him down on his bed gently. Ciel changed into his night clothes and took cover under the blankets.

"This is bad, isn't it, Sebastian?" Ciel rasped.

"I'm afraid it is . . ." Sebastian replied.

"Can you tell me something?"

"Anything, master."

"How did it feel . . . before you died . . . How did you feel?"

"Master, I don't want to frighten you with what I endured. You might not even get all the symptoms like I did, since you're still so young."

"But I _want_ to know. I want you to tell me everything."

Sebastian let out a sigh, "Very well, then . . . I will tell you."

* * *

_Sebastian had been in complete agony the day he died; all the way into the nighttime. What had started as a mere tingling sensation in his wrists had escalated into a paralyzing pain that made him dread moving any part of his body. His lungs and throat felt as if they were on fire and a cold chill had settled in the rest of his body. Every time blood completely filled his stomach, his gut flipped and it forced him to move so he could spew into a nearby bucket; awaking the stabbing-needle pain in every joint of his body. His head felt so heavy and hurt so much he couldn't lift it. He no longer had any strength unless he summoned it with every ounce of his will power._

_ Sebastian knew that day he was going to die. He wasn't afraid of death. What he feared was leaving Ciel and never being able to communicate with him. Demons lived long lives, as Sebastian knew all too well, and Ciel's had only just begun._

_ The little gardener, Mink, was left alone to tend to him. He was shy and nervous, but he did everything his small body could take to make sure Sebastian was okay._

_ There you are, sir." Mink said as he settled another pillow under the dying butler's head, "I hope that feels better."_

_ Sebastian coughed heavily into a rag._

_ "I-it won't be long . . . M-Mink." He managed to wheeze out, "It won't be long."_

_ "Please, don't talk like that, sir." Mink pleaded, "If you could just hold on . . . I bet you could be the first to survive the Hellfire Flu. You're Sebastian Michaelis; the demon who can be conquered by anything. You . . . You're stronger than this sickness."_

_ Sebastian gave a sad smile, "Mink . . . you have to stay strong for . . . for the young master. I need to know that he's going to be a-all right without me to . . . to save him."_

_ "We'll make sure he's safe, I promise. But you have to hold on and keep fighting for him. Don't give up, not even for a second!"_

_ Another chain of coughs hit Sebastian._

_ "M-Mink . . . I'm not sure i-if I'll even make it to morn . . ."_

_ It was then that Sebastian fell into a seizure. The blood in his lungs made it impossible for him to breathe. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head and the black substance began to leak out of his eyes._

_ "No, no, no, Sebastian; just hold on! Stay with us! Come on, come on, come on! Stay with us! We're right here for you. Everything's going to be okay; just hold on! Lucius, help!"_

_ "Just let him ride it out . . ." he could hear Lucius say._

_ Sebastian's hearing failed him at one point and he was left struggling to breathe as he whole body continued to twitch and shake in the seizure and he continued to drown in his own blood._

_ Hold on . . . hold on . . . hold on . . ._

_ "Sebastian? Can you hear me?"_

_ The voice hat fell onto his ears was that of Ciel, and Sebastian allowed himself to relax. He used everything he had left in him to turn his head and speak._

_ "Master . . . come closer . . . closer . . . Do you . . . remember . . . what I told you?"_

_ "Every word."_

_ Sebastian's body tried to produce another coughing fit, but there was barely enough room left in his lungs to take in air._

_ "Good . . . that . . . that's good . . . I need . . . I need to tell you something . . ."_

_ "What is it?"_

_ As much pain as it put him in and drained whatever life and energy he had left, Sebastian used it all to rest a hand against the side of Ciel's face. He could feel his eyes rolling and he felt as if the air had turned to fire._

_ "I've never had a friend like you before . . . No master . . . that I've had . . . h-has tr-treated me like you h-have . . ." He only had seconds left and he was in agony, and of the thousands of things he wanted to say to Ciel he knew he had to sum it up before death fully claimed him, "You . . . you are . . . a very . . . w-worthy . . . master. Th-thank you . . . C-Ciel . . ."_

_ Sebastian knew when he was dead, because all of the pain he was in vanished in an instant. He still felt tired, but not nearly as bad as he had moments before. His spirit took an invisible form next to the bed as he watched the sad scene that unfolded afterward._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The servants didn't take the news of Ciel's sudden illness well. In fact, they seemed to be taking it worse than when Sebastian had been dying of the Flu. They tended to his every little want and need, down to fetching water and cleaning up the buckets he spewed into. They did everything they could to keep his fever down and lessen whatever pain he was in.

At some times, it was only Mink that was tending to him, and the little silver-haired gardener was not pleased that history was repeating itself.

"Please, don't give up, master." Mink pleaded, "Don't give up like Mr. Sebastian did. Just hold on."

Ciel managed to chuckle, "F-Funny thing about Sebastian . . . he didn't give up."

"Sir?"

"Sebastian fought to stay alive . . . all the way up until the very end. He never once gave up. He was just being . . . one Hell of a butler."

Mink chuckled sadly, "I suppose he was."

Ciel nodded, "Why don't you go ahead and rest, Mink."

"But sir, I can't leave you!"

"Don't worry. I'll be all right. Besides which that was an order."

Mink could only nod. The little gardener took a moment to glance over his shoulder to look at Ciel before vanishing out the door.

Ciel let out a sigh, "Sebastian . . . are you still there?"

"I am, master." The butler said from within the room.

"Show yourself . . . I want to see you."

Sebastian's misty form took shape beside his bed. He looked tired and distressed. He could feel death closing in on the child-demon, and although it wasn't what he wanted to happen, he knew the outcome was inevitable.

"It . . . h-hurts, Sebastian." Ciel whimpered, "Is there a way to help make it stop?"

"I can only recommend sleeping, sir. It always helped with my pain."

"Sleeping? But then . . . what if I don't wake up?"

Sebastian could only shrug, "Then I'll see you on the other side."

Ciel nodded, "Will you stay in here with me until I do fall asleep?"

"Yes, sir. I will always be here at your side."

Ciel closed his eyes and relaxed against the pillows.

Sebastian always knew when Ciel fell asleep, but he knew that this time his young master wouldn't be waking up.

* * *

It was different being dead. It was different being a ghost. You saw more people and did more things. It was all better than what Ciel had always expected it to be.

He was reunited with his parents shortly after dying in his sleep. This time, Ciel didn't have to worry about losing them ever again.

"So what do you want to do now, Ciel?" his mother asked him as she led him by the hand.

"What can we do?" he asked.

"Anything you'd like. We can travel; see places. Or maybe we could just return to the manor."

"So long as I'm with you guys, I really don't care."

Ciel heard his father chuckle, "What about _him_?"

Vincent Phantomhive pointed to a figure that stood at the edge of a cliff in a field of black and white roses.

"Give me a moment . . ." Ciel said before hurrying towards the figure, "Sebastian? Aren't you coming, as well?"

Sebastian turned to him. A steady breeze whipped his hair to one side and the tails of his tailcoat swayed in its rhythm.

"I don't think so, sir." He said, "It's nothing personal, honestly, it's just . . . you won't be needing me anymore, master. Not only have you gotten your revenge, but you have your parents again and it's this part of the afterlife that's safer for you."

"I get it. I get it." Ciel said, "Then this is an order: I hereby release you from your contract with me. Be free, Sebastian Michaelis."

The smile that appeared on Sebastian's face was genuine; full of happiness.

"So, what will you do?" Ciel asked.

"I think it's time I returned to my realm and continued my business as a contract demon with the hope that history won't repeat itself. Reincarnation is a _long_ process, though."

"You're on your own there and I wish you luck."

Sebastian nodded, "And I wish the best for you and your parents."

Ciel rushed forward quickly and wrapped his arms around Sebastian; hugging him close.

"I won't ever forget you." He said, "I've never had a friend like you before."

Sebastian lowered himself to Ciel's level and returned the embrace, "Nor have I, Ciel. But this isn't good-bye. I'm sure we'll run into each other again one day."

Ciel nodded and hesitated a moment before rushing back to his parents.

"That was a very short good-bye, Ciel." His mother commented.

Ciel let out a laugh as he looked back and realized Sebastian was gone; leaping back down into the pits of Hell as a free demon. The thought made Ciel smile.

"That's because this isn't good-bye."

* * *

THE END


End file.
